This invention has relation to relatively heavy weights called sinkers which are attached to or around fish lines for the purpose of sinking the fish bait toward the bottom of the body of water being fished.
In some modes, it is desired that the fish line sinker slide freely along the fish line; while in other modes it is desirable that the sinker be affixed against sliding to a portion of the fish line or leader.
Presently fish line sinkers come in a number of different shapes or conditions. For example, (1) the sinker of lead or other suitable relatively heavy material has a continuous opening or hole all the way through it, and must be placed on the fish line without a leader or fishing lure or bait or hook on the line; (2) the sinker has an open eye at one end thereof, can be fastened fixedly to one place on the fish line without taking the bait and hook and leader off of the line, but cannot be connected to the fish line to slide along it without taking the leader and hook, etc. off of the line; and (3) the sinker is provided with a longitudinal groove with ears at either end thereof which can be bent up to allow the fish line to be placed in the groove and then bent down to clamp the fish line onto the sinker, and suffers from the difficulty that these ears tend to break off after only several uses.
What was needed before the present invention was a fish line sinker which could be used indefinitely and which could be attached to and removed from the fish line without damage to the sinker or the line and without the necessity of removing the fish line from the leader, hook, artificial bait, etc., etc.
Applicant has made no preliminary search of the prior art in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; but has been a recreational fisherman using fish line sinkers and being aware of what is available in the marketplace for a major portion of his life. Applicant and those in privity with him know of no prior art which anticipates the claims made in this application.